Now I'm not a big fan of Joe Klein. But he reflects a certain Broderesque Beltway wisdom, and today it turned on John McCain:
A few months ago, I wrote that John McCain was an honorable man and he would run an honorable campaign. I was wrong.
Joe Klein, swampland
In attacking Obama's character, McCain has trashed his own maverick, decency brand, and he may not be able to get it back.
More, after the fold.
More Klein:
From what I can gather, Mississippi Senator Thad Cochran, a Republican, reflected the views of many of his colleagues earlier this year when he said:
"The thought of his being president sends a cold chill down my spine ... He is erratic. He is hotheaded. He loses his temper and he worries me."
Joe Klein, swampland
Unlike some folks here, I think the Obama campaign is doing just fine in handling the Paris Hilton/Brittany Spears, race card, hospital visit bs. McCain's throwing the kitchen sink, but he's losing the other half of that strategy: his own brand. Obama's been through the kitchen sink and survived. People don't like reruns and sequels that much. The first one always is better. Clinton was a much tougher opponent.
As Obama said,
"All we have been hearing about is Paris Hilton and Britney Spears. I do have to ask my opponent, is that the best you can come up with? Is that really what this election is about?"
If you have not already, please check out the new Obama campaign website: the Low Road Express:
Welcome to the Low Road Express.
John McCain used to stand for "straight talk." Not anymore.
These days John McCain doesn’t seem to stand for anything but negative attacks and false charges against Barack Obama. This isn’t the John McCain we used to know.
Low Road Express
More Joe Klein from last week:
While McCain plays games, Obama acts on issues. Obama offers policies and solutions to our problems. All McCain has to offer is cheap, juvenile attacks: "You're like Paris Hilton or Brittany Spears. You get more publicity. People like you more. Meany!" Grow up, John McCain.
It's clear that the "empty suit" actually is John McCain. Obama offers an emergency plan to help people while McCain is stuck in silly games.
Today, we learned that 51,000 jobs were lost last month, the seventh straight month of job loss – now totaling 463,000 jobs lost since the beginning of this year. I’ve already called for an economic stimulus package on two different occasions this year, and much of what I’ve proposed has passed in Congress. These efforts have made some difference. But with job losses mounting, prices rising, increased turbulence in our financial system, and a growing credit crunch, we need to do more.
That’s why today I’m announcing a two-part emergency plan to help struggling families make ends meet and get our economy back on track. The first part of my plan is a $1,000 emergency energy rebate that could go out to families as soon as this fall. This rebate will be enough to offset the increased cost of gas for a working family over the next 4 months. Or, if you live in a state where it gets very cold in the winter, it will be enough to cover the entire increase in your heating bills. Or you could use the rebate for any of your other bills or even to pay down debt. As we provide relief, we must also be mindful of the swelling budget deficit. That is why I am proposing that we pay for this rebate by taxing the windfall profits of oil companies so we can use some of their record profits to help families pay record prices.
The second part of my plan is a $50 billion stimulus to help jump-start job creation and help local communities that are struggling due to our economic downturn. Half of this stimulus will go to state governments that are facing big budget shortfalls. The other half of this stimulus will be used to invest in our national infrastructure, replenish the Highway Trust Fund, rebuild our crumbling roads and bridges, and repair our crumbling schools.
Today’s jobs report is an urgent reminder that we cannot afford four more years of the failed Bush economic policies, and that is what Senator McCain is offering. He’s proposing to cut the gasoline tax paid by the oil companies and trust that they will pass on the savings in the form of lower prices at the pump. And he’s also proposing tax cuts for corporations and the wealthiest Americans in the hopes that a little bit of it will trickle down to ordinary Americans. I do not believe that giving $4 billion in new tax cuts to oil companies will create any jobs or save you any money. I believe that if we want relief for families, we should give relief to families, not oil companies. If we want to create jobs, we should do more to make work pay for ordinary Americans, not boost the profits of oil companies. It’s time to restore fairness and balance to our economy and we can start by passing the emergency economic plan that I’m proposing today.
Senator Barack Obama Announces Emergency Economic Plan
Paris Hilton and Brittany Spears is all McCain's got, and even his former friends in the traditional media see it.
Those who know McCain best say he's the risky one:
Sen. Thad Cochran (R. Miss):
"The thought of his being president sends a cold chill down my spine ... He is erratic. He is hotheaded. He loses his temper and he worries me."
Barack Obama:
"The question you have to ask yourself is - what's more risky? Going ahead and bringing about changes that we know that we have to make, in order to ensure that our children have a better future. Or doing the same things over and over again even though we know they don't work," Obama asked the crowd, "We are in a time right now where it is too risky not to change."
abcnews